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Sunday, November 2, 2008

Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day

The Fredericksburg Brewing Insiders (FBI) held a "Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day" event at the Blue & Gray Brewery on Saturday, November 1. Many club members were on hand to give advice and offer samples of their beers. The club brewed an American Blonde Ale, and Aaron Zaccagnino (aka Zacc) took the lead on the brewing demonstration. I spent a couple of hours watching the demo, talking to the members, and of course, tasting some of the homebrews on hand.

The club put together a very nice display table with different hop and malt varieties. Visitors were encouraged to touch, taste and smell the ingredients. During the brewing demonstration we were also able to taste the wort at various stages in the process. There seemed to be a good amount of interest in the brewing process from visitors, and Zacc and other club members stayed busy answering questions.

I was able to sample a few of the members' homebrews. There's little that can beat fresh beer. I didn't get the brewers' names but I tasted a nice red ale and a very tasty porter. I also had a taste of Jamie Wilson's Big Bug Wheat which won a silver at the 2008 Dominion Cup homebrew competition a few weeks ago. Even though I don't homebrew it would certainly be a joy to visit a meeting of the FBI to enjoy more of these beers.

Not beer but coffee...

I enjoy a good cup of coffee as much as I do a good beer. Coffee Roasters of Fredericksburg was on hand at the brewery showing off some of their fresh roasted coffees. I tried all three of the coffees being offered and was especially impressed with the Indonesian Sumatra Mandeling with its deep roasted flavor. If you are looking for locally roasted and blended coffees, these are the folks you need to see. You can even call in or email an order and pick it up on Saturdays at the Blue & Gray Brewery!

The weather on Saturday morning was clear and warm. It was a perfect morning to spend time with friendly folks to talk about, and taste, homebrewed beer. Roxbury Farm and Garden was on hand with a display of homebrewing supplies they sell. Thanks go out to Jeff and the gang at Blue & Gray for their support of the event.

Nice idea to promote the hobby. I've been trying to do the same, but on a smaller scale (in my kitchen), since I moved from Ireland to Germany. Who would have known that Germans liked IPA and Stout? But my "students" have yet to make their own! :D

Promoting home brewing in Ireland was easier though, and done virtually through IrishCraftBrewer.com, but it's always great to see more people getting interested in the hobby/passion.

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And finally, the blog would not be complete without a picture of our faithful canine companion of fourteen years. He lived a good life and brought much joy to our lives. We miss you old buddy.